Darwish, Mazen

38-year-old Syrian journalist and founder of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression is still being held by the Syrian authorities. Calls from international human rights organizations for his immediate release go unheeded. Darwish and his 13 employees were taken into custody on February 16 by Syrian security forces.

On Thursday night, security officials of the Syrian regime stormed the offices of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression in Damascus. They arrested its founder and director, Mazen Darwish, along with all his staff at the center. This action has caused great dismay at the Roland Berger Foundation, which was able to announce the news on Friday afternoon.

His Excellency President of the Federal Republic of Germany; dear Roland Berger, the founder of the Foundation; ladies and gentlemen: The fact that I cannot be with you today is an indicator of the fact that despotism does not deprive us only of our freedom, but also of any possibility of joy or happiness.

37-year-old Mazen Darwish was one of the first human rights activists in Syria. He has been fighting for freedom of expression for more than 10 years, facing prison, harassment and the prohibition to travel outside Syria.

He helped establish the Committees for the Defence of Democratic Freedom and Human Rights (CDF). Later he founded the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), with the objective of defending journalists and human rights. Darwish is married and has two children.